A flash of movement on the edge of the clearing caught Deadmoon's eye, and she whipped her head about in time to see Racoonkit. She wasn't entirely sure what the kiddo was up to, but she was in attendance. Not participating, just watching. One of Twilightstar's, wasn't she? Deadmoon didn't really know, there were too many of them to keep real track of. Also she was lazy. Heavykit seemingly had no such trepidation, launching herself at the mossball with abandon. It was cute, if a bit violent. The subsequent destruction of the mossball was unnecessary, but Deadmoon couldn't really fault her. She had asked a lot of the kids attention spans. Decent pounce Heavykit, but try and be a bit....stealthier next time. Squealing and running tend to let prey know you're coming. Ok so she was being a bit sarcastic. Sue her.
Shrikekit was much more competent on the sneaking front, but had a bit of trouble aiming. That was fair enough, and could be corrected with practice. At least she got the principle. Shrikekit, you'll just need to work on directing your landing. That should come with practice. Deadmoon mewed. And Strawberrypaw....she was still sneaking around, ready to pounce. That was fine, paces and all that. Pausing for a moment to allow her......Strawberrypaw to finish her stalking, Deadmoon shook her fur out. She was definitely going to regret playing mouse, but the kiddos might have fun with it at least.
Now that all of you've had a chance to go after a stationary something, you're going to 'hunt' something a bit more mobile. Me! Ugh, she could feel their little nibbly bites just saying the words. You're going to close your eyes, and I'm going to scuttle away like the little mouse I am and hide somewhere. Then your job is to sniff me out, sneak up on me, and pounce. Alright? She didn't really care for their confirmation, this was more of a prompt to get them to close their eyes than anything else. Once all of the little peepers were closed, Deadmoon took off. Well, not really took off. More like wandered as quietly as she could, squeezing behind the nursery. She didn't dare enter any of the dens, so slipping behind one was as good as it was going to get. It was good enough. Tucking her tail tight behind her she ensured she wasn't visible from the clearing, before calling Start hunting! Her voice might give them some clue as to her location, but they were always going to find her eventually anyway.
@Rose @sleepyyjax @Snowytail @Ladiebugg @Splashcloud @Rowan
Post Count: 15/100 | Purrk(s): Lyrebird’s Lullaby
No wonder Deadmoon was adopted. She was kinda odd, to be honest. Had Father inherited it from her? Sure, she loved him, but he was kind of... well... if he hadn't been her and her littermates' parent, Gnawingpaw would have definitely had Words to spout about him. More of them than currently. But... if Grandma(?) was giving permission to hunt, surely that meant...
Initially, the apprentice didn't close her eyes, until she realized the Fury was waiting. Alright. Her ears swivel at the sound of Deadmoon's call. When her eyes opened again, Strawberrypaw watched Heavykit intently. The kit was... plodding off towards the fresh-kill pile, when Deadmoon voice had not come from anywhere near there. It was scarily accurate the way Strawberrypaw's senses picked up on where the darker-furred cat was, pawsteps soft against the ground. Was it the scent of a Clanmate that drew her, or was it something else..? Something that pulsed beneath the surface, beckoned her like no other.
Sense and logic had faded, blue eyes sharpening. Prey, prey, prey. Food. She was so hungry that the why's and what's suddenly faded. There was no clanmate in front of her. There was a food source. And then sharp fangs are hopefully sinking into pawpads. Tails just didn't taste good.
Vinesmoke
11 Moons
He/Him
Tunneler
Vinesmoke took a deep breath, shaking off the jittery feeling that clung to him. He focused on Ashpaw, steadying his voice. "Alright, first things first. You need to stay low to the ground. Keep your body close to the earth, so the wind doesn’t carry your scent to your prey. Use your belly, not just your paws. Move in short, quiet steps."
He glanced at Ashpaw, making sure he was paying attention. "Now, listen for the sounds around you. You’ll hear the rustling of leaves, the movement of prey. Focus on that sound—it’ll tell you where to move next. But don’t just chase after it. You need patience. Let the prey come to you." Vinesmoke paused, then nodded toward the underbrush. "Keep your eyes sharp. A flicker of movement or a shift in the shadows can tell you everything. When you see the right moment, that's when you strike." His eyes hardened, as if sharpening his own focus. "The most important thing is timing. If you rush, you’ll miss your chance. Wait for it."
Listening attentively to Vinepaw, the ginger apprentice crouched down. “My belly? How?” he asked. Was he supposed to use it as a fifth paw? Ashpaw wasn’t sure.
Scanning for any prey while also listening to the warrior’s instructions, the apprentice listened for any sounds. A sudden movement in the grass caught his attention. Turning his head towards it, he could confirm it was a prey, as the grass rustled in small, quick surges. A rabbit, he realised. Moving a bit around the sound to get the wind in a better direction, the rabbit’s scent arrived at Ashpaw’s nostrils. Seeing movement in the grass, he locked his gaze at the small mass of fur that caused the movement. He then waited.
Judging it was the correct time, the apprentice shifted his weight to his back paws before suddenly leaping towards the prey in hopefully an almost straight line.
[Rolled a 17 out of 20]
Landing with his paws stretched forwards on the rabbit, he almost killed it instantly — almost. The injured prey started to try to escape, but Ashpaw’s claws were still holding the prey, making the rabbit injure itself even further. Managing to land a final blow on its neck, the apprentice sighed out of satisfaction. He then turned around towards Vinesmoke, searching for his reaction.
TheRedWyvern is reading a book in a shadowy corner.
Cloverspring is eating a snack.
Myling is frantically looking around for ice cream.
Splashcloud is talking for no reason...
Foxy is graffiting the wall with poorly-drawn pixel art
Re: Hunting for Dummies
